The Internet is used to exchange information between computers all over the world. Generally, server computers carry information organized in web pages, open for access by client computers. Web pages may include a web form, which is designed to receive information from a user of the client computer. Simple web forms are represented by source HTML code.
Wizards are software programs that assist users in completing a task in a plurality of steps. Wizards are used in both non-web and web environments, for various tasks including, for example, to install and uninstall programs, to prepare a fax transmission and to print images.
US patent publication 2007/0143181 to Linkner et al., issued Jun. 21, 2007, describes a web based wizard for generating promotion advertisements.
US patent publication 2006/0153173 to Beck et al., issued Jul. 13, 2006, describes a client specific self help wizard which is accessible and programmable over a computer network.
Generating wizards is generally a programming task which requires large amounts of human programming resources.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,871,340 to Gillis, issued Mar. 25, 2005, describes a software wizard builder which may be used to configure a wizard to a user's needs.
The web page http://www.hexamind.com/sections/plat/platform, downloaded on Jan. 26, 2008, describes a modeler for rapid modeling of complex configuration data. The modeler is claimed to allow intuitive definition of configuration validation rules and to include a graphical interface for authoring wizards to automate complex tasks. In addition, the Hexamind suite is reported to include wizards that automate and simplify common configuration tasks.
While a wizard builder or modeler makes the task of creating a wizard easier, the task still requires qualified designers to spend much time on the task and improvements are still required.